


if at first you don't succeed

by Anonymous



Category: Sally Face (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst and Tragedy, Bad Ending, Canon Compliant, Canonical Character Death, Chapter 4: The Trial, Character Study, Depression, Heavy Angst, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Larry's Suicide (Sally Face), Mental Anguish, Mental Health Issues, Not A Fix-It, References to Depression, Sad, Sad Ending, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Attempt, Suicide Notes, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-18
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-12 06:58:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 402
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17462780
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/





	if at first you don't succeed

His hands are shaking as he writes the note to Sal.

_Sal, I know this is gonna be hard for you to understand. I'm sorry. Please don't blame yourself and please don't hate me._

Memories bubble to the surface of his mind and he can't shake them away.

 _Mom, I'm sorry,_ he'd written once.  _I just can't take this anymore. I need it to end._  
This isn't your fault; don't ever blame yourself for this. You're a great mom. I couldn't have asked for more from you. I'm just a shitty son. But I love you so much, and I know you can get through this.   
_I'm so sorry._  
_-Larry_

She'd found the note stuck to the fridge and ran out to the treehouse behind the apartment building. There he lay, unconscious on the floor, with an empty pill bottle and a six pack of cheap beer beside him. Her call was frantic and angry and desperate, and she rode along behind them with a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. 

He'd woken up in a white room. Something was beeping beside him, and his mother was all but asleep in the chair on his other side, using her folded arms as a pillow. 

"Mom?"

She'd stirred slightly before looking up. Her gaze had been bleary at first. Her eyes had welled with tears. "Lar . . ."

His stomach had turned. "Mom, I'm-"

She'd wrapped him up in a tight hug. "Larry, I'm so fucking glad you're okay," she'd murmured into his dark hair.

He'd hugged her back. "I'm sorry," he'd whispered. His voice had cracked as he did. "I don't know what I was thinking; I didn't mean to hurt you. I never _wanted_ to, anyway." 

"Hey, hey." She'd sniffled as she pulled away to cup his cheeks. "I don't want you to be sorry. I want you to talk to me, okay?"

He'd stared up into her deep brown eyes, then blinked away tears. "I don't . . ."

"Hey, I'm not mad." She'd wiped his tears even as they flowed. "I'll never be mad at you for needing help, Lar-Bear." She'd kissed his forehead and hugged him again. "I know it's hard, hun, but I'm here for you. I'm  _always_ here for you." 

"I know, Mom."

They'd sat there like that for a while, he remembers. 

He runs his fingers through his hair, pulling on it harshly.   _Focus, Larry. Focus._

This time, it takes.


End file.
